This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 000593 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/EX, S/CT, CA, DS/DSS, 
DS/IP/NEA, NEA/PPD, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/ICI/PII, CENTCOM FOR 
POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2013 
TAGS: ASEC AMGT PREL PTER CASC YM DOMESTIC POLITICS
SUBJECT: TF1Z01: SHIFT IN YEMEN MEDIA COVERAGE AND RISING 
POPULAR ANGER AGAINST THE U.S. 
 
REF: A. SANAA 00576 
     ¶B. SANAA 00516 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edmund J. Hull for Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Yemen media coverage of Operation Iraq 
Freedom and anti-war protests underwent a noticeable shift in 
tone from low-key for several days to more sensationalist 
since March 23.  Initially, it appears that the ROYG 
attempted to down-play media coverage to minimize public 
outrage.  However, criticism of Yemen's position by the Iraqi 
Vice President on March 23 has apparently made the ROYG 
anxious to counter accusations of agreeing with the war in 
Iraq.  Reports coming to us from a variety of sources 
indicate that the level of anti-war sentiment among Yemenis 
is on the rise.  The risk of further protest or other violent 
acts remains, although the ROYG has given emphatic assurance 
that Amcits will be protected and further violent 
demonstrations will not be tolerated.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------------- 
Low-Key Coverage until March 23 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Local Yemen media coverage gave only sterilized media 
reports on the demonstrations that took place on March 21 and 
the continuing war in Iraq until March 23.  Newspapers and 
local television and radio presented factual reports of 
events, drawing heavily on independent news wire services 
such as AP and Reuters for the content of their information. 
Even newspapers that are notorious for printing 
unsubstantiated and sensational information and are known to 
be anti-American, such as Al-Shumu, reported mostly factual 
information. 
 
¶3. (U) During the demonstrations on March 21, Yemen radio and 
television did not report on the event until later in the 
evening when the two news outlets reported only factual 
information (Ref A). 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Shift in Media Coverage Spurred by Iraqi Statement 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4.  (U) On March 23, al-Jazeera and Yemeni television showed 
a live, televised press conference by the Iraqi Vice 
President.  The Vice President spoke in anger about three 
categories of Arab countries: those that overtly support the 
aggressors, those that are indifferent and those that are 
"failures."  The "failure" category included several points 
that clearly referred to Yemen without mentioning it 
specifically.  These included the suppression of public 
opinion through the media, the "shooting of demonstrators" 
and the forging of security committees to deal with the 
situation. 
 
¶5. (U) On March 24, in contrast to previous media reporting, 
the Yemen Times, an independent and usually pro-American 
newspaper, showed a large color photo of the slain boy on its 
front page with a headline reading "IT'S WAR".  Over 80 
percent of the newspaper contains negatively slanted articles 
and editorials regarding U.S. action in Iraq, the negative 
effects of the war on the Yemen economy, worldwide negative 
reaction, photos of private citizens injured in Iraq and 
continued U.S. assistance to Israel. 
 
¶6. (U) Al-Thawra, an official daily and usually moderate to 
pro-American newspaper, on the afternoon of March 23, printed 
photos of U.S. missiles and bombs used by U.S. led forces in 
the war in Iraq.  One headline carried the rejection to the 
U.S. demand to expel Iraqi diplomats from Yemen.  The March 
24 edition carried an editorial that says "...The flagrant 
aggression against Iraq...without any legitimate or legal 
justification has made it obvious that its real motives do 
not only target that country (Iraq) but all Arab nations are 
a target." 
 
¶7. (U) Yemen TV and radio have also elevated their tone 
against the war in Iraq.  These reports are much more 
frequent. 
 
--------------------- 
Public Reaction Angry 
--------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) The ROYG efforts until the shift were overshadowed by 
programming on al-Jazeera that continued to show violent 
images of the war in Iraq and graphic images of the 3/21 
demonstration.  Al-Jazeera showed film footage of the father 
carrying his slain son, both covered in blood. Post believes 
that a large portion of the Yemeni population watches 
al-Jazeera for its news information. 
 
¶9. (C) We continue to hear Yemenis expressing disdain for 
Saddam and acknowledging the expected benefit of his regime's 
removal.  At the same time, information received from several 
sources indicates that popular opposition to the war is 
hardening, and that the risk of violent protest or individual 
violent acts remains significant.  Al-Jazeera broadcast 
images of coalition POWs and KIAs are likely contributing to 
this trend.  One individual said that many Yemenis are 
discussing jihad but more on an individual basis because, in 
his words, more individuals are contemplating acts of 
violence against the U.S.  This correlates with the "lone 
wolf" scenario of possible terrorist attacks (Ref B). 
HULL